A UNESCO World Heritage site, one of the great tourist destinations of the world, most everyone likes the quaint mountain town, Banff, in the Canadian Rockies. Growth is strictly limited by National Park regulations.
Banff … in Alberta’s Rockies, Canada.
… at 1,463 m (4,800 ft), it is the town with the second highest elevation in Canada, the highest being Lake Louise.
It is surrounded by mountains, notably Mount Rundle, Sulphur Mountain, Mount Norquay, and Cascade Mountain; and situated above Bow Falls near the junction of the Bow and Spray Rivers. Banff is located 126 km (78 mi) west of Calgary and 58 km (36 mi) east of Lake Louise …
…. It is a major destination for outdoor sports and features extensive hiking, biking, scrambling and skiing areas within the region. …
More interesting photos tagged Banff.
Canmore is a smaller town (pop. 12,000) just outside the park, a great alternative to touristy Banff. Alpine Club of Canada headquarters are located in Canmore. Many experienced hikers prefer it as a home base.
Two of our top 10 hikes in the world can be reached from here:
#5) Sunshine to Assiniboine, Alberta, Canada
#6) Glacier North Circle, Montana, USA
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Mt. AssiniboineMore interesting photos tagged Assiniboine.
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Many Glacier HotelMore interesting photos tagged Glacier National Park.
Of course there are dozens of “best hikes” in the Rockies. Lake O’Hara, for example, is the prettiest mountain hiking in the Rockies.
Plan for July to mid-September in the northern Rockies. Banff is a great town, but the hiking season is short. Blizzards are not uncommon in September. We often suggest Aug. 1st as a good start date for a walking holiday here.
Disclosure: besthike is based out of Calgary. Banff is our backyard playground. You could certainly accuse us of bias.
